15 Powerful Social Media Strategies for Improving Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)

15 Powerful Social Media Strategies for Improving Search Engine Optimisation (SEO) | SEO Agency In Essex | Tips

Social media has revolutionised the way consumers find and engage with brands online. Today, over 4 billion people worldwide use social platforms regularly to connect, share content, and make purchasing decisions.

For businesses, having a strong presence across different social networks is no longer optional – it’s essential for attracting new customers and achieving marketing goals. Research shows that 93% of marketers agree that social media is important for their business.

However, leveraging social media goes beyond just posting updates and growing follower counts. When done strategically, social platforms can also massively boost search engine optimisation (SEO) and help websites rank higher organically in search engine results pages (SERPs).

This article will discuss 15 powerful social media strategies that have been proven to positively impact SEO.

We’ll explore how content, engagement, partnerships, and other factors all tie social media and organic search optimisation together.

Let’s get started!

Table of Contents

How Social Media Impacts SEO: The key role of social media in SEO

Before jumping into social media strategies for SEO, let’s first look at how social media activity actually impacts search engine results.

There are a few key ways that social platforms interact with SEO:

  • Social Signals and Authority – Popular social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn pass “social signals” to search engines.
    Things like mentions, shares, followers, and engagement on social posts signal popularity.
    Search engines take social signals into account as a trust/authority factor when ranking websites.
    The more social mentions and followers you have, the more authority you have in the eyes of search engines.
  • Backlinks – Many social media platforms allow users to link back to websites. This provides opportunities to earn high-quality backlinks, which are one of the strongest SEO ranking factors.
    The more quality backlinks you earn from authoritative social media profiles, the more search visibility you’ll gain.
  • Brand Mentions – Brand mentions, hashtags, and keywords used by real people help search engines understand what a brand/website is about.
    The semantic search value of social conversations matters for SEO. Mentions also boost brand awareness among real audiences.
  • Click-Through-Rate – Social media can send qualified traffic to websites. Search engines monitor click behaviour, so more clicks from social referrals to a website can improve its search rankings.
    The higher click-through rate you drive from social media, the better.
  • Local SEO – Social media profiles and engagement play a role in local SEO as well.
    Location-tagged posts, local customer interactions, and proximity to customers impact local search rankings.
    Brick-and-mortar businesses can optimise their social presence for local SEO.


Now that we’ve covered the top-level interactions between social media and SEO, let’s explore specific social media strategies and best practices marketers can leverage for better search performance.

15 Social Media Strategies for Improving SEO

Here are 15 social media strategies for improving SERP rankings:

1. Publish High-Quality, Shareable Content

At the core of any effective content marketing technique and social sharing strategy is publishing content your audience genuinely finds valuable.

Your content needs to be informative, educational, entertaining, or solve real problems/answer questions for readers.

Only by regularly publishing engaging, share-worthy content will you start attracting links, shares, and overall audience engagement on social platforms.

Some types of content that tend to do well across different networks include:

  • In-depth guides, tutorials and how-to’s
  • Case studies and success stories
  • Data-driven reports and statistics
  • Curated industry news and trends
  • Interviews with experts and thought leaders
  • Visual content like infographics, images and videos

 

Make sure your content is optimised for sharing by including catchy headlines, relevant images/videos, and calls-to-action encouraging people to share.

Track which types of content perform best using analytics and double down on more of that.

Consistently publish at least 1-2 long form pieces per week, along with additional daily/weekly updates.

2. Publish Content Directly to Social Networks

Instead of always linking back to your website, take the time to repurpose parts of your content into native social posts.

This allows search engines to directly associate your brand with that content on social media, granting you more authority and credibility.

Some ideas on how to break up your content for social media include:

  • Posting introductions, key points or highlighted sections as standalone updates
  • Creating image quotes, graphics or snippets from the full article
  • Breaking down long-form pieces into a series of short LinkedIn articles
  • Live streaming or recording video summaries of your guides on YouTube


Vary the types of native social content you produce beyond just links, and you’ll achieve better overall engagement and distribution of your messaging.

Repurposing also multiplies the value of each piece of content you create.

3. Go Live on Social Video Platforms

While text-based updates are still important, live video is quickly becoming one of the most shared and engaging types of social content.

Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn all allow businesses to broadcast live, interact with viewers in real-time, and re-share the recording afterwards.

Going live gives you the chance to have casual, personable conversations with your audience and answer questions on the fly.

Some ideas for live content include:

  • Product or service demonstrations
  • Behind-the-scenes tours or interviews
  • Live Q&As and interactive AMA sessions
  • Reactions or commentaries on industry news
  • Sneak peeks at upcoming launches or announcements


Get in the habit of doing at least one live video per week across different networks.

Proper planning, lighting, and minimising distractions will make your broadcasts of higher quality.

With time, live video becomes one of the best ways to build your reputation as a thought leader and an authority in your niche.

4. Repurpose Evergreen Content

Evergreen content refers to pieces written in a way that remains fresh content, relevant, and valuable over time instead of just in the short term.

Title something as an “Ultimate Guide to…” or “Top X…” and you have the makings of evergreen material.

Take stock of your best evergreen articles, e-books and other long-form content at least 3-6 months old and find new ways to repurpose and share them on social networks.

Some effective tactics include:

  • Break the content into individual posts or short series
  • Annotate visual copies of the content with your thoughts
  • Create quizzes, polls or other interactive social promotions
  • Record video summaries or highlights to share
  • Curate related third-party content as accompaniments


Repurposing evergreen assets extends their lifespan and keeps your brand top of mind with past readers and new potential fans.

Combined with promotion across networks, it leads to more backlinks, shares and organic traffic over the long run.

5. Promote Evergreen Content on Anniversaries

Building off the previous strategy, make it a habit to resurface and celebrate the anniversaries of your best evergreen materials.

On major milestones like the 6-month, 1-year or 2-year marks, run special promotions specifically calling attention to that content again.

Some anniversary promotion ideas could be:

  • Throwback Thursday style posts revisiting impact
  • Contests or giveaways related to the guide/e-book’s topic
  • Behind-the-scenes maker profiles for creator(s)
  • Data-driven infographics on performance metrics
  • User testimonials and case studies with those helped


Anniversary promotions generate new spikes of traffic at regular intervals.

They reinforce your commitment to high-quality, long-lasting resources while also introducing the piece to a fresh batch of potential readers each time.

Mark your strategic content calendar well in advance for re-promoting your most influential evergreen assets.

6. Engage Comments on Social Updates

While the main goal with social updates is initially driving traffic back to your website and blogs, don’t forget about engaging with people directly on the social platforms too.

Take some time each day to monitor, like, and respond thoughtfully to relevant comments on your Facebook Page posts, tweets, Instagram photos, and LinkedIn Company Page updates.

Having genuine back-and-forth discussions and answering questions people ask shows readers you care about building relationships more than just driving clicks.

It also signals to algorithms that you’re an active participant worth recommending to more potential fans and connections.

Make it a habit to reply to at least the top 2-3 comments per major update across networks.

Building off engagement, consider periodically turning comments into longer blog posts, podcast episodes, or YouTube videos answering common questions at a deeper level.

Take the interaction one step further by inviting prolific commenters onto a future live video chat too for additional perspective.

Foster as much discussion around your brand and topics as you can across networks.

7. Cross-Promote Updates Between Networks

While publishing natively tailored updates for each individual social platform is ideal, there’s no reason why you can’t reuse quality content across networks as well to multiply exposure.

Social media managers today leverage cross-promotion judiciously and at strategic intervals.

Some examples of cross-promoting include:

  • Sharing your must-read blog posts as LinkedIn article shares
  • Promoting Facebook Live recordings as Twitter thread recaps
  • Pinning top Instagram photos to Pinterest boards as visuals
  • Quoting engaging Twitter threads as Facebook status updates
  • Embedding YouTube videos across other networks

Combining cross-promotion with other social activities ensures your messaging reaches a wider, non-redundant cumulative audience each time.

It exposes different slices of your organic following to the same helpful and useful resources and leads to more backlinks, traffic, and appreciation over time.

8. Promote New Content Through Social Ads

While you’ll want to mostly rely on high-quality, engaging organic content to drive slow-and-steady growth, leveraging social media ads judiciously can boost your reach and SEO significantly faster as well.

Platforms like Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Pinterest all enable targeting potential customers through low-cost, optimised digital ads.

Some ad strategies to test for promoting new content include:

  • Driving clicks to the latest blog posts or guides
  • Getting subscribers for an email list or newsletter
  • Boosting event registrations for webinars/meetups
  • Increasing viewership of online courses or memberships
  • Selling online products and services


Start small with tight targeting via interests and behaviours for maximum relevance.

Measure results carefully before scaling ads that convert readers into loyal followers or customers regularly interacting with your brand online.

Social media ads supercharge the reach of your SEO-optimised online assets when done correctly.

9. Run Social Media Contests And Giveaways

While ads directly promote your assets, contests and giveaways generate buzz and allow communities to authentically engage with your brand for a chance to win prizes.

Leverage such promotions judiciously across networks like Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn or Twitter to spread the word about new resources.

Some effective contest ideas could be:

  • Sharing infographics for a signed book or swag pack
  • Answering trivia about blog posts for gift cards
  • Tagging friends on photos with your products
  • Commenting on live videos for physical prizes
  • Completing short surveys about the need for complimentary trials


Contests don’t require big budgets but successfully drive shares, links, site traffic spikes, and positive associations when run periodically over months.

They work best when the incentive perfectly aligns with what your target audience values most. Ask fans what types of prizes or perks would truly excite them through polls.

Consider giveaways for major milestones of likes, follows, and subscribers, not just one-off events.

Overall, keep contests fun, social, and in line with building loyal communities around your expertise over quick score chasing.

10. Become an Active Commenter Yourself

While engaging others through prompt replies, don’t forget to contribute your own perspective to industry discussions happening across networks as well.

Becoming an active commenter and conversationalist introduces you as a true thought leader worth following in your niche.

Some avenues to try starting discussions include:

  • Sharing expert takeaways from webinars/events
  • Analysis of major news stories or announcements
  • Critiquing new pieces of content from others
  • Polls for unsolved problems readers regularly face
  • Casual Q&As on hot topics readers care about


As an authority, strike a balance between self-promotion and genuinely adding value through your actions.

Quoting other influencers differentially goes a long way in social proof too.

Over time, you’ll build familiarity along with inbound questions and feature opportunities from impressed media.

11. Curate Third-Party Content

Beyond just talking about your own brand, become an influential information source by constantly aggregating and promoting helpful resources from across the wider industry or field.

Curate intelligently sourced third-party articles, tools, events, and more that your audience finds useful through links and written descriptions.

Some curation ideas include:

  • Weekly link roundups of top stories from your niche
  • Carefully selected quotes and excerpts that teach
  • Visual “Boards” of trending news, tools and more on Pinterest
  • “People You Should Know” interviews with rising leaders
  • Community forums highlight discussions worth reading


Curating explores your authority outside your direct business.

It also builds appreciation when you credit experts, avoid just self-promotion and tailor resources smartly to follower needs above all else.

Engage with curated parties too for additional reciprocal exposure.

12. Share and Engage Industry Hashtags

Hashtags work especially well on visual platforms like Instagram and Twitter for associating your brand with real-time conversations around topics and events.

Closely track major hashtags your customers and prospects frequently use to discuss ideas, problems and interests.

Start seamlessly interweaving such hashtags like #marketingtips or #fintech into your fresh posts and comments where naturally relevant.

Also monitor hashtagged discussions to chime in helpfully, meet influencers, and get discovered easily via related searches.

Some other hashtag ideas you can spearhead include niche-focused ones unique to your business or area, along with promotional tags for new launches, webinars and other time-sensitive events.

The goal is to insert yourself thoughtfully into online communities versus scattershot tagging alone.

13. Guest Post on Industry Blogs and Publications

One of the best ways to establish credibility and links is by contributing your expertise to notable websites, magazines, and journals read regularly by your target customers.

Reach out and pitch well-researched, solution-oriented articles about trends or problems within your field of focus.

Some publication types open to guest posting include:

  • Digital marketing and business blogs
  • Online industry publications and magazines
  • Thought leader websites and association sites
  • Small business and vertical topic hubs
  • Local business journals and community papers


When pitching, highlight relevant qualifications, offer past successful samples for review, and show flexibility.

Propose topics addressing questions your imagined readers truly care about solving.

Guest posting requires patience but pays off in terms of links, reader acquisition, and directly positioning you as a go-to expert for prospects to follow.

14. Lead or Participate in Online Forums

Industry forums represent a treasure trove of backlinks, domain authority, and qualified connections to tap into if you authentically position yourself as a leader.

Carefully select 2-3 major B2B forums or Quora spaces regularly congregated by your audience and get involved through:

  • Answering a high volume of questions helpfully (aiming for 50-100/month)
  • Occasionally, start your own discussion topics
  • Providing intelligent critiques/comments on debates
  • Helping moderate by flagging policy violations
  • Sharing signature sign-offs with links back to resources


Forums introduce you organically to warm leads invested enough to converse.

Balance helpfulness over flaunting your business at first though – let expertise shine for invitations to other collaborations naturally.

15. Create an SEO-Focused YouTube Channel

While not every business model allows full channels, marketers of all stripes can tap viral video exposure by launching a focused YouTube effort.

Even just 1-2 videos per month takes steady dedication but pays dividends when optimised for core keywords.

Channel ideas could include:

  • Product demonstrations and comparisons
  • Step-by-step industry tutorials and walkthroughs
  • Talking head interviews with experts and leaders
  • Review or reaction videos to major events/launches
  • Snippets from audio podcasts or other shows


Include helpful captions and transcripts when possible for SEO. Try live chats and regular premieres to build anticipation and an audience.

Consider sponsorships and affiliations with complementary YouTube channels as well given its enormous reach as a search platform nowadays.

Overall, leverage the sheer power of online video to amplify your SEO far and wide.

Conclusion

The convergence of social media and search engine optimisation is one of the most powerful tactics businesses can take advantage of in today’s digital landscape.

Implementing a consistent combination of content, cross-promotion, engagement and community-building strategies discussed in this article will generate ongoing SEO value for any business over months and years.

Some key takeaways to remember:

  • Quality, valuable content should be the top priority on and off social media
  • Repurposing assets extends their useful lifespan and reach
  • Participation in discussions builds both authority and warm leads over time
  • Leveraging multiple platforms taps into varied audiences better
  • Analytics helps optimise efforts towards high-converting tactics


Always keep up to date with algorithm changes and focus first on benefiting real people before promotions.

Steady dedication to socially driven SEO will undoubtedly yield results for businesses aiming to engage new customers and cement themselves as online industry leaders.

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About Author

Samantha Terrance

Samantha is a results-driven Marketing Manager with a passion for creating impactful content that drives visibility and growth. Based in Essex, Samantha specialises in crafting engaging blogs and strategic campaigns for our SEO agency, helping businesses optimise their online presence. With a deep understanding of digital marketing trends and SEO best practices, Samantha ensures every piece of content resonates with target audiences while enhancing search engine rankings.

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